The End of a Dream

Hermione found it difficult to prepare for the pain that would come from seeing Ron at breakfast. She tried to still her nerves, wondering if everyone else knew and how they would react when they found out. She took deep breaths, her hand on the door, then opened it and walked downstairs. Things looked no different than she had remembered them before Ron gave her the awful news that she wasn't good enough. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat 'round the table with Ron and George and a girl Hermione vaguely recognized as Verity, the girl who worked in George's shop.

She didn't make eye contact with Ron and didn't want to address anyone else, but George wouldn't let her alone of course. "Morning!" he greeted brightly as she walked into the kitchen. She was forced to smile at the people who looked up at her, not focusing on their faces. "I heard about your fainting spell last night. How are you feeling?" he asked. He was being unnaturally kind for a Weasley twin and she was suspicious, but didn't show it.

"Alright I suppose," she answered, sitting on the side of George that allowed her to block Ron out of her line of sight. She put bacon and eggs onto her plate and began to eat, hoping that it would be a silent meal. Of course it wasn't though. People kept asking her about school and graduation and her future plans. She was just glad that Ron kept his mouth shut.

The traitor tried to pull her to the side after she was finished eating and helping Mrs. Weasley wash the dishes, however. She reluctantly let him talk, because some part of her still wanted him; still wanted him to want to be with her even after all that he had done to cause her grief. "You should know," he started. "That Verity is the other girl that I'm dating." Hermione nearly swallowed her tongue. "I've been seeing her for a few months and we're getting along really well," he said with a nervous smile.

Ron had been cheating on her. The blunt of the words hit her and she felt woozy once more. The girl had been invited to the Burrow, no less. Hermione had eaten across from the girl that Ron wanted more than he wanted her. He looked at her expectantly as though she should congratulate him. "I never want to speak to you again, Ronald Weasley!" she yelled, turning on her heel and hurrying out of the house.

Hermione went out to the garden to cry, afraid that someone would come looking for her if she stayed inside. Mrs. Weasley had a knack of sensing when someone was crying. She buried her face in her knees; her arms wrapped around her legs and poured out all the feeling that she had ever had for Ron. He had truly betrayed her in the worst of ways and she actually never wanted to see or speak to him ever again.

She had been crying for nearly an hour, her body heaving roughly, her breathing uneven when she felt eyes on her back. She tried to stop her tears, fearing that Mrs. Weasley was watching her and wanted to try and comfort her. When she looked up through her red rimmed eyes, however; it was George and not Mrs. Weasley that was staring at her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, a little more harshly than she had intended. She simply wanted to be left alone.

"Hermione, I'm sorry. I know what Ron's gone and done," he told her simply. Her bottom lip trembled and she felt the tears burning her eyes again.

"Please, just leave me alone," she begged. The sadness in her voice nearly made George well up, but he held his ground.

"I just thought that you should know: I'm the one that told him he should tell you. I didn't think it was right to go behind your back like that." He looked guilty and she tried to take in what he was saying.

"You're the reason he did this to me?" she asked, nearly yelling. "Why would you do that? Why didn't you leave it alone?"

He moved forward to capture Hermione in his arms and she let herself drop toward the ground. He caught her in his arms and tried to hold her and she cried. "I'm sorry. I didn't want him lying to you," George said, trying to sooth her by smoothing her hair and rocking slightly. "You would rather have it out in the open, right?" he asked.

She hadn't even fought when he grabbed her. She didn't care what happened anymore. She just wished that everything could go back to the way it had been and that Ron would realize how wonderful she was. She sobbed into the front of George's maroon and orange work robes, getting him all wet as he rocked her gently.

"Please don't be mad at me Hermione. I just wanted you to know the truth," he told her. She continued to sob into his chest and his guilt increased tenfold. After nearly another hour of her lamenting and him feeling guilty as hell she quieted down. He continued to rock her back and forth, smoothing her hair as she listened to the beat of his heart.

"I can't be mad at you, George," she said after a while. "My rational side won't let me."

He sighed with relief. "I just wanted you to know."

"Thank you," she said. "But I don't think I can stay here any longer."

"Do you want to go back to Hogwarts?" he asked. She looked up at him, tears still wet on her cheeks and fear in her big brown eyes.

"No. I can't go back there yet either. I just need some time to be away," she told him truthfully. "I'm going to the Shrieking Shack."

"I'll come with you," he told her. "It's my fault you're in this mess…well partially, anyway." She couldn't very well refuse him as she didn't want to be alone. If she was entirely alone she feared that she would feel utterly useless. She gathered her things, bade the elder Weasleys farewell and followed George outside to leave. He held her gently against his body as they turned, disappearing and reappearing again inside the place that so many believed to be haunted.